CBS had a unique quandary with its star NFL analyst this week.
Tony Romo is a good golfer. Good enough that he got a sponsor’s exemption to play in this week’s Safeway Open on the PGA Tour.
And that would be fine if this was June or July, but Romo is scheduled to join Jim Nantz on the call of the Minnesota Vikings-Chicago Bears game on Sunday afternoon.
CBS had to come up with a contingency plan if Romo plays well enough to make the cut and last to the weekend in his golf event, according to the Chicago Tribune.
Tony Romo will be at PGA Tour event
Romo is a very good golfer, but not great. CBS probably doesn’t need to worry about Romo, the former Cowboys quarterback, making the cut.
The most likely scenario is Romo plays, generates some publicity for the tournament (which he’s already done, considering it’s already generating stories about his availability for Vikings-Bears), misses the cut and then leaves Napa, Calif. for Chicago after a couple days of golf. He’ll take a private jet if he misses the cut and be on hand for Saturday preparations, the Tribune said.
That’s if he misses the cut. If he makes it, the Tribune said fellow former NFL quarterback Boomer Esiason will fill in with Nantz.
Romo is a star in the booth
Romo’s entire career at CBS has been unique.
He came straight from NFL retirement to the broadcast booth. He was raw and excitable, and that became part of his charm. He was an instant star in the CBS booth at a time in which everything and anything is ripped apart on social media.
Romo presumably doesn’t want to miss work on Sunday. But if he does, it’s because he’s had a fantastic week on the golf course.
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Frank Schwab is a writer for Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at shutdown.corner@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter! Follow @YahooSchwab
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